Sample display case



April 25, 1967 w PLUMB 3,315,771

SAMPLE DISPLAY CASE 7 v I Filed Oct. 29, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR f5 l Mum/w LAWS/N9 Pia/ v5 April 25, 1967 w. L. PLUMB SAMPLE DISPLAY CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Opt. 29, 1965 iiRi ' INVENTOR l/mz/n/w laws/My Rid/VB United States Patent 3,315,771 SAMPLE DISPLAY CASE William Lansing Plumb, New York, N.Y., assignor to Concord Fabrics Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 505,667 8 Claims. (Cl. 190-16) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in sample display cases.

An object of the invention is to provide a lightweight case for use by salesmen in displaying samples of fabrics or the like in an effective and attractive manner. In addition, selected samples from several sets of samples may be displayed in side-by-side relation for coordination as to design, color and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display case for displaying samples of fabrics or the like which resembles an ordinary piece of luggage and which can readily be transported from place to place for display purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display case for displaying samples of fabrics or the like having an outer shell or covering of flexible sheet-like material which is removably attached to a sample supporting frame so that the covering may be replaced when it becomes worn or disfigured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and will be better understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display case embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the display case shown in FIG. 1, but with the cover thereof being opened and with the sample supporting rack in display position;

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section of the display case shown in FIG. 1 with the section being taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in partial section taken along line 4'.4 of FIG. 3 illustrating a part of the cover of the case as shown in FIG. 1 with a carrying handle attached thereto;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in partial section illustrating part of a sample supporting bracket and its attachment to the frame of the case shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in vertical section illustrating a supporting leg for the case shown in FIG. 1 and its attachment to the frame thereof; and

FIG. 8 is a section view taken along line 88 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is a sample display case 10 having a cover 11 which extends around the front and rear sides of a frame 12 and also around the top and bottom thereof.

The cover is supported at its sides on the frame when it is in closed position with its opposite ends in overlapping relation. In this position, the overlapping ends of the cover may be secured together by suitable fastening devices 11a.

The cover comprises an outer layer 13 of flexible material and incorporates upper and lower reinforcing members 14 and 15. The reinforcing members extend lengthwise between opposite ends of the frame and are located, respectively, at the top and the bottom of the frame when the cover is in closed position. The upper reinforcing member 14 comprises a panel of plywood or other suitable material and posts 16 connected to a carrying handle 17 are secured to the panel at the center thereof.

The bottom reinforcing member comprises an up- 3,315,771 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 wardly facing U-shaped channel of sheet metal or other suitable material, with its upwardly extending legs or flanges thereof being spaced transversely so as to receive the ends 18 of the frame. The cover may be removably attached to the ends of the frame at the rear thereof by a suitable fastening device, such as a screw, in order to hold the cover and the frame together as a unit when the cover has been opened as shown in FIG. 2.

The members forming the frame define storage space for a number of samples and the frame is open at its front to provide access to this space.

The ends of the frame may be formed of square tubing of aluminum or other lightweight material which has bent to define a rectangular opening. The ends of the frame are held in spaced relation by upper and lower cross members or bars 19 and 20 which extend lengthwise between the ends of the frame at the rear thereof so as to leave the front of the frame open. In addition, a crossmember or bar 21 extends between the tops of the ends of the frames. The cross bars may also be made from square tubing of aluminum or other suitable lightweight material.

Sample supporting brackets 22 are attached to the top cross bar at spaced points along its length. Each of the sample supporting brackets comprises a strip of metal formed into an elongated oval shape with one end of the strip being attached to the top cross bar of the frame and with the other end of the strip terminating at a point spaced from the top cross bar so as to provide an entrance 23 through which sample supporting straps 24 may be introduced for attachment to the brackets. For this purpose, one end of the sample supporting strap is provided with an opening which can be slipped over the free end of the sample supporting bracket, with the other end of the strap being fastened to a sample card 25 or the like.

Usually, two straps are attached to each sample card with the straps being attached to and supported on spaced brackets located at the top of the frame. The sample cards are located in the open front of the frame and several sets of samples may be displayed in side-by-side relation. In displaying the samples, the straps are moved around the brackets to expose the desired sample.

The display case illustrated is provided with two sets of sample supporting brackets so that comparison between the samples on the respective sets of brackets can be readily made.

In order to display the samples to better advantage, -a supporting leg 26 is pivotally attached to the upper of the rear bars at the center thereof. The upper end of the supporting leg is pivoted on a shaft 27 carried by a block 28 secured to the rear bar and when the lower end of the leg is moved outwardly away from the rear of the frame, a stop 29 extending from the upper end of the leg engages with a stop 30 at the front of the block so as to hold the leg in its rearwardly inclined position.

With the leg in this position, the frame may be tilted rearwardly, as shown in FIG. 2. The leg may be provided with a rubber tip 31 at its end to prevent slippage and an extension 26a which telescopes within the leg may also be provided. The extension is held in place by means of a locking nut 32 which is threaded in the extension and extends through a slotted opening 32a in the side of the leg.

In closed position, the free end of the leg abuts the lower rear cross bar and is releasably held in this position by suitable means. For example, as illustrated, a steel bar 33 may be incorporated in the free end of the leg wit-h a magnet 33a being inside of the lower rear cross bar at a point opposite the end of the leg. However, other releasable holding devices, such as a spring biased detent, may be employed for this purpose.

The openings defined by the tubular members forming the ends of the frame are closed by panels 34 of a flexible material similar to the outer layer of the cover. The panels are also removably attached to the ends of the frame so that they can bereplaced when desired.

It will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable sample display case, the combination which comprises:

(a) a framework,

(b) said framework including a pair of spaced end panels.

(c) said panels having top and bottom edges and also rear and front edges,

(d) at least one cross-member attached to and extending between the end panels at the rear edges thereof with the panels extending forwardly therefrom and defining a storage space therebetween,

(e) an upper cross-member attached to and extending between the end panels at their upper edges,

(f) said upper cross-member being located intermediate the front and rear edges of the end panels with the front edges of the panels defining an unobstructed opening to the space between the panels;

(g) means carried by the upper cross-member for supporting samples in the space between the end panels;

(h) a removable cover of flexible material extending around the framework and between the end panels;

(i) said cover having ends which overlap in a closed position thereof; and

(j) means extending between the side panels for reinforcing said cover.

2. In a portable sample case, the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the reinforcing means for the flexible cover includes a channel-shaped member extending between the bottom edges of the spaced end panels and being shaped to fit said panels.

3. In a portable sample display case, the combination as defined in claim 1 which includes:

(a) means for supporting the framework in a rearwardly tilted position,

(b) said support means including a leg pivotally connected at one end to the rear cross-member of the framework and having a free end movable to a rearward position relative to the frame.

4. In a portable sample display case, the combination as defined in claim 1 which includes:

(a) means for releasably securing the ends of the flexible cover in an overlapping relation.

5. In a portable sample display case, the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the end panels have central openings therein and each of the end panels includes a sheet of flexible material removably secured thereto and forming a closure for the opening therein.

6. In a portable sample display case, the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the sample-supporting means comprise at least one bracket having an end attached to the upper crossmember and spaced portions extend transversely across the storage space defined by the end panels, said bracket having another end terminating in opposing spaced relation relative to the upper crossmember.

7. In a portable sample display case, the combination as defined in claim 1 which includes:

(a) means for supporting the framework in a rearwardly tilted position,

(b) said support means including an extensible leg pivotally connected at one end to a rear cross-member of the framework and having a free end movable to a rearward position relative to the frame.

8. In a portable display case, the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the reinforcing means for the cover includes a member extending between the top edges of the end panels; and

(bk), a carrying handle attached to said reinforcing mem- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,035,648 8/1912 Small -16 1,711,070 4/1929 Suydam.

2,166,708 7/ 1939 Sullivan.

2,215,695 9/1940 Ginsberg.

2,549,306 4/1951 Greene 19016 XR 2,555,694 6/1951 Ihling 190-16 XR 3,165,178 1/1965 Pelavin et a1 19049 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A PORTABLE SAMPLE DISPLAY CASE, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A FRAMEWORK, (B) SAID FRAMEWORK INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED END PANELS. (C) SAID PANELS HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES AND ALSO REAR AND FRONT EDGES, (D) AT LEAST ONE CROSS-MEMBER ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE END PANELS AT THE REAR EDGES THEREOF WITH THE PANELS EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM AND DEFINING A STORAGE SPACE THEREBETWEEN, (E) AN UPPER CROSS-MEMBER ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE END PANELS AT THEIR UPPER EDGES, (F) SAID UPPER CROSS-MEMBER BEING LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES OF THE END PANELS WITH THE FRONT EDGES OF THE PANELS DEFINING AN UNOBSTRUCTED OPENING TO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PANELS; 